Woman, son test positive for swine flu in India

New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) A 34-year-old woman and her five-year-old son who arrived in India from the US last week have tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) virus, commonly known as swine flu, health officials said Monday. “Both the mother and child are admitted in the identified isolation facility at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. They are on treatment with Oseltamivir,” a health ministry official said.

Both travelled from the US to India through Dubai and reached Chennai May 28.

“They reported to the identified health facility as the child had fever before leaving US. All their local contacts have been traced. They are afebrile (without fever) and their health status is being monitored. The passengers accompanying them are being traced and advised to monitor their health status,” the official said.

India reported its first swine flu infection May 16. A 23-year-old man who travelled by Emirates Airline from New York to Hyderabad via Dubai was found positive for the flu.

Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 21 international airports and so far 1.2 million passengers have been screened.

“A total of 221 doctors and 88 paramedics have been deployed to man 76 counters at the above airports. Two passengers who arrived at Delhi airport were shifted to the isolation facility Monday and samples of five persons are under observation,” the official said.

So far samples of 131 persons have been tested, of which three have tested positive for the influenza.